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Johns, rough waters might await during the
first stretch. The program scrambled to organize
a late summer program workout,
and its summer camp was cancelled while
St. Johns searched for a new coach. But
the pieces — Morgan, experienced coaching
staff, 16 returning starters — are in
place for the team to make a late run barring
injuries or other setbacks. St. Johns
only had about 30-35 players for its two
football teams. The focal point of the offense
is senior Dillon James, who rushed
for 1,400 and 23 touchdowns last year.
Running back/defensive back Trent Sherwood
(600 rushing, 11 touchdowns, teamhigh
85 tackles in 2015) also is back. Junior
defensive end Joseph Ramsey (team-high
11 sacks last year) and senior lineman
Ayden Overson (6-4, 255, captain last year)
are on the radar of some colleges.
Thatcher: Second-year starting quarterback
Jake Dunlap, a junior last year, completed
53 percent of his passes and is now
well-versed in running the split-back veer.
Thatcher’s schedule is tougher this year,
which should help it if it finish with the same
record as last year, when it missed the playoffs.
MLB Brandon Hayes and FS Tyler
Roebuck are the main-men for a defense
that will introduce a handful of new faces.
Danny Battraw, who coached at Thatcher in
the 1990s before leaving and returning for
one season a couple of years ago, is back
with the team.
Region Note: Morenci has had a .500
or better record in six of the past seven seasons.
It won five of its finals regular season
games before bowing out in the first round
of the 2015 playoffs.
SOUTH REGION
Benson: Last year’s defense allowed
just under eight points per game. What
comes back from that dominant unit is a
good group of linebackers and defensive
backs, which helped pick the ball off 22
times last year. The line play on each side
of the ball are the biggest unknowns heading
into this year. The team’s top-three leading
scorers last year, seniors Tyson
Coleman (7 INT’s, 10 TD’s) Brandon Laird
(11 TD’s, 74 tackles) and Keegan Graf (17
TD’s, 69 tackles), form a formidable twoway,
three-headed threat. The versatility of
RB/WR Alex Hernandez, the brother of last
year’s starting quarterback, Nick, will come
in handy this season.
Santa Cruz Valley: “I’m glad the expectations
are there,” coach Rishard Davis
said. “But honestly I try to down play it. I
don’t like it. I want to keep our egos in
check. We deserve it, but at the same time
we understand we have to work to get better.”
Last year’s injuries to WR Tony
Jimenez and DL Jose Diaz hurt not only the
two players but also the team in the 2015
postseason, but their injuries healed in the
offseason. Senior Emilio Cosillos (only 7 career
INTs in 160 attempts) is heading into
his third year as the starting QB and is one
Devin Neal, Eloy Santa Cruz (photo by Darin Sicurello of maxpreps.com)
of the field generals on the team. The only
two positions Davis had to fill during the
summer were at linebacker. Other than that,
it’s been a stress free summer for him and
his boys. “I’m not worried about the team
executing or its mentality,” Davis said.
“They hold each other accountable.”
Region Notes: Bisbee tied its highest
win total (8) in the past 12 seasons last year
but graduated its state-record setting receiver,
Spencer Schuller, starting QB Danny
Barrow, and its 1,000-yard rusher/100-plus
tackler, Tony Chavez. … San Manuel is
looking to rebound from its worst season in
more than a decade. … Mike Mayhurst’s return
as Tombstone’s head coach last year
resulted in a two-game improvement in the
win column. The team averaged 291 rushing
yards per game, but Christian Wilridge,
who rushed for 1,700-plus yards is no
longer on the roster. … Willcox is coming off
its second consecutive 2-8 season against
a touch competition.
CENTRAL REGION
Camp Verde: The team is returning
nine starters on offense, including its entire
offensive line, and every defensive line
starter from a team that almost finished with
a .500 record last year. Junior QB Payton
Sarkesian passed for 1,344 yards and 12
TDs last year in his first full-time stint under
center. The biggest objective for Camp
Verde's offense this season is to develop its
young players into scoring threats. The
team also has to replace five starters on defense,
but junior defensive lineman Reyes
Herrera, third on the team with 64 solo tackles
last year, is still at the school.
Kingman Academy: The Tigers’ 1-9
record last year was deceiving. The program
was moved up last year and played
against bigger schools, but it is back where
it belongs. Most of the players that helped
the program reach the playoffs two years
ago are still with the team and so is well-experienced
coach D.B. Stroup. Stroup’s son,
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